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Sun tanning, although very popular in many parts of the world, is an extremely risky activity by its very nature. The same UV (ultraviolet) rays that cause you to tan are the ones that cause a lot of damage to your body. The only real benefit of sun exposure is that your body begins to produce vitamin D - however you require only about fifteen minutes of sunlight every three or four days in order to produce enough vitamin D.
Unfortunately, many light skinned people are unlikely to stop trying to develop tans in spite of the risks, just as many dark skinned people are unlikely to risk their health trying to become fair. Therefore, some precautions should be taken if you feel a tan is worth the risk. Tanning should be done in short sessions, regularly, rather than spending a whole day at the beach once in the year.
In the latter case, you are more likely to end up with a sunburn than a tan. Melanin, the pigment that is created when your skin is exposed to the sun and which is responsible for the tan, protects your skin from the sun to some extent. However, if you have very little melanin in your skin and you suddenly spend hours in the sun, melanin will not be produced quick enough to save your skin.
In addition, you should wear appropriate sunglasses, as your eyes can also get damaged by UV rays.
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